These tips are courtesy of The Calgary Board of Education and The Junior League of Calgary

BEFORE READING TOGETHER

Read the title and talk about the book cover. Turn the pages of the story and ask your child.

"What do you think the story will be about?

"Praise your child's predictions.

"Great idea! You used pictures to help you predict what might happen next!

"Be enthusiastic about reading the story together.

"Let's read the story to see if any of our predictions were right."

WHILE READING

Reading to the Child

Make sure your child can see the book easily. Use expression and read in a natural speaking voice.As you read, you may point to each word or slide your finger under the text.Encourage your child to predict what might happen next as the story unfolds.

Reading with the Child

Hold the book together. Begin reading the story to your child at a pace s/he is comfortable with.As you read, your child will begin to pick up the pattern of the story and may read to you.Encourage your child to point to each word. Have your child nudge you when s/he is ready to try reading on his/her won.

Reading by the Child

Preview the book with your child and predict what it will be about. When your child is stuck on a word, try one or more of the following:

• Look at the picture. Look at the beginning letter of the word. What word would make sense?
• Try reading that whole sentence again.
• Are there any parts of the words that you know?
• Skip the word and read to the end of the sentence.
• Do you know what the word is now?
• Does it make sound right? Does it make sense?

If your child is still stuck, tell him/her the word. Praise your child's reading efforts.

AFTER READING

Talk about the story:

"Did each of you like it?"

"Did the story remind you of any other story or of things that have happened to you?"

"What did each of you like best about the characters, events, or the ending?"

"Do you want to read it again?"

Sometimes ask the child to retell the story in his/her own words. Look forward to and talk about the next time you will read together